The number of cars on the roads in Northern Ireland is rising as people snub public transport.

Environmental campaigners have warned we are locked in a "car-first" transport policy as official figures showed bus journeys had dropped in the past five years while the number of licensed vehicles had increased.

We also have more private light goods vehicles – driven by the so-called white van men – relative to our population than the rest of the regions in the UK.

And some 34% of households here have two or more cars – a higher figure than England.

Today's report from the Department of Regional Development also revealed:

There are 25% more cars and vans registered here compared to a decade ago, with our vehicle stock rising faster than anywhere else in the UK

78% of households in Northern Ireland have access to a car or van

More people are injured in road accidents here relative to our population than in England, Scotland and Wales;

Vauxhall, Volkswagen and Ford remain the most popular car choices.

The figures are mapped out in the Northern Ireland Transport Statistics bulletin for 2013/14, which also revealed that 1,066,504 vehicles were registered here at the start of this year – up 2% from five years earlier.

That figure included 890,484 cars – a 3.4% rise on the 2009 rate. There were also 634 private light goods vehicles for every 1,000 adults in Northern Ireland – higher than the 624 GB average.

At the same time, 40.5 million journeys were made on Ulsterbus last year – down 3% on 41.9 million five years ago.

The Belfast Metro service had a similar number of journeys last year compared to 2009.

Declan Allison from Friends of the Earth said people needed to learn to leave cars behind.